oked pityingly in his face, and
then turned to the Prince.

"Don't be angry with him," she said gently; "it is very brave of him to
speak like this, and terrible for him, poor boy, to know the truth."

"No, no, your Highness, it is not true!" cried Frank wildly; and he
caught and kissed, and then clung to the Princess's hand.

"My poor boy!" she said tenderly.

"No, no; don't you believe it, madam!" he cried. "It is not--it can't
be true. Some enemy has told you this."

"No," said the Princess gently, "no enemy, my boy. It was told me by
one who knows too well. I had it from your mother's lips."

Frank gazed at her blankly, and his eyes then grew full of reproach, as
they seemed to say, "How can you, who are her friend, believe such a
thing?"

"There boy," said the Prince, interposing; "come here."

Frank turned to him, and his eyes flashed.

"Don't look like that," continued the Prince. "I am not angry with you
now. I believe you, and I like your brave, honest way in defending your
father. But you see how all this is true."

"No!" cried the boy firmly. "Your Royal Highness and the Princess have
been deceived. Some one has brought a lying report to my poor mother,
who ought to have been the last to believe it. I cannot and will not
think it is true."

"Very well," said the Prince quietly. "You can go on believing that it
is not. I wish, my boy, I could. There, you can go back to your
duties. You will not go over to the enemy, I see."

The boy looked at the speaker as if about to make some angry speech; but
his emotions strangled him, and, forgetting all etiquette, he turned and
hurried from the room.

"Look after him, Captain Murray," said the Prince quietly; "true gold is
too valuable to be lost."

The captain bowed, and hurried into the antechamber; but Frank had gone,
one of the gentlemen in attendance saying that he had rushed through the
chamber as if he had been half mad, and leaped down the stairs three or
four at a time.

"Gone straight to his mother," thought the captain; and he went on down
the staircase, frowning and sad, for he was sick at heart about the news
he had that morning learned of his old friend.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

FRANK'S FAITH.

Frank went straight to his mother's apartments.

"I don't think my lady is well enough to see you to-day, sir," said her
woman.

"Tell her I must see her," cried the boy passionately; and a few minutes
after, looking very